The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009)

A small band of baddies (led by Travolta in a porn 'stache) holds a single subway car for ransom and makes it personal by dragging a recently demoted Transit worker (Denzel, being Denzel but chubbier) into the middle of the drama as his main contact.

It's passably diverting. It's also loud and ridiculous. There are three or four "what the heck??" car crashes, a Transit worker supervisor who almost shuts down the talks by ordering Denzel's character out of the office for no other reason other than pettiness, and a finale that stretches the film's already way-too-thin credulity to the breaking point.

The biggest problem with this film, however, is the complete unnecessariness of it. The original, far superior, Walter Matthau film from 1974 is readily available on DVD.

C-